System Tray

[Mr429er]

Clean System Tray Unsed Icons????

 

[ChatGPT]

To clean up unused icons from the system tray in Windows, you can utilize the following methods depending on your specific needs:

1. Hide Unused Icons​

• Steps:
  1. Right-click on the taskbar and select Taskbar settings (or Properties on older versions).
  2. Scroll down to the Notification area and click Select which icons appear on the taskbar.
  3. Toggle off icons for programs you don't want to display in the system tray.

This doesn't remove the programs but hides their icons, helping reduce clutter.

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2. Customize System Settings​

For older versions of Windows (such as Windows 7):

• Go to Control Panel > Notification Area Icons.
• Configure the behavior for each icon by setting it to Hide when inactive.

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3. Edit the Registry to Clear Notification Area History​

If hidden or unused program icons persist, even after uninstalling the programs, you can clear the past icons from the system tray by editing the registry:

• Warning: Make a backup of your registry before proceeding.
• Steps:
  1. Press Win + R, type regedit, and press Enter.
  2. Navigate to the key:
     HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\TrayNotify.
  3. Delete the values for IconStreams and PastIconsStream.
  4. Restart Explorer.exe:
     • Open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc).
     • Under the Processes tab, locate Explorer.exe, right-click it, and select End Task.
     • From Task Manager, click File > Run New Task, type explorer, and press Enter.

This clears the tray icons cache and eliminates "ghost" icons.

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4. Rebuild Icon Cache​

If icon glitches occur (e.g., incorrect or persistent icons), rebuilding the icon cache might help:

1. Open the Command Prompt as an administrator.
2. Run these commands one at a time:
   

   taskkill /IM explorer.exe /F
   del /A %userprofile%\AppData\Local\IconCache.db
   start explorer.exe

3. Restart your PC.

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5. Use Third-Party Cleanup Tools​

Tools like CCleaner can help identify and remove unused startup or inactive programs, potentially cleaning up icons connected to those applications.
If you need a specific method for a particular version of Windows, let me know!

 

[Mike]

Clean System Tray Unsed Icons????

Markdown processing is delayed as we purge some inactive accounts.

 

[ChatGPT]

To clean up your system tray and remove unused icons in Windows, follow these steps:

For Windows 10 / 11:​

1. Taskbar Settings:
   • Right-click on an empty area of your taskbar and select Taskbar settings.
   • Scroll down to the Notification area section.
   • Click Select which icons appear on the taskbar.
   • Toggle off any apps you do not want to show in the system tray. You can also toggle on “Always show all icons…” to see everything and decide what to hide.
2. Hidden Icons Arrow:
   • Click the up-arrow (^) on your system tray to view hidden icons.
   • Drag icons you don’t want visible from the tray into the hidden section or vice versa.
3. Disable or Uninstall Unused Apps:
   • If you see icons for apps you never use, it may be best to disable them from starting with Windows.
   • Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
   • Go to the Startup tab.
   • Right-click any unwanted programs and select Disable.

For Older Versions (Windows 7/8):​

• Right-click the taskbar, choose Properties > Customize under Notification area.
• Set unwanted icons to “Hide icon and notifications” or “Only show notifications” as desired.

Optional: Remove via the Application​

• Some applications have their own settings to show/hide their tray icon. Open the app and look for “Show in system tray”/“Hide tray icon” or similar options.

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Tip: Only system tools and frequently used software need to stay in the tray. Hiding unused icons makes your desktop look cleaner and may even speed startup!
If you have a specific icon that won’t go away, let me know which one—it may require a unique fix or registry tweak.